Electric current rectifier



June 23, 1931. o. SEITZ 1,811,521

ELECTRIC CURRENT RECTIFIER Filed Aug. 26, 1930 Patented June 23, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OSKAR SEITZ, F BADEN, SWITZERLAND ELECTRIC CURRENT RECTIFIER Application filed August 26', 1930, Serial No. 477,807, and in Germany August 2, 1929.

This invention relates to improvements in Figure 1 is a horizontal cross-section, taken electric current rectifiers and particularly to on the line AA of Fig. 2, of a rectifier a rectifier construction in which the usual structure embodying the present invention, single cathode is divided into a plurality of and separate electrically connected portions each Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of acting for a portion of the anodes of the the electric current rectifying structure taken rectifier. on the line BB of Fig. 1.

When an electric current rectifier for high Referring more particularly to the drawcurrent and of the metallic vapor type is proings by characters of reference, the reference in vided with a plurality of anodes which are numeral 3 designates an open topped tank or so arranged as to operate in conjunction cylinder which is formed with double walls With a plurality of cathode portions, electrito provide a path for the circulation of a cally forming a single cathode, the arc to be cooling medium therethrough. The tank 3 maintained between an anode or group of is closed by a cover plate 4 having a plurality anodes to a certain cathode portion can be of groups of anodes 6, 7 and 8 extending kept in the proper path and caused to attach therethrough in insulated relation therewith. to the desired cathode portion only with The anode plate 4 is apertured substantially great difliculty if at all. Such operation I centrally thereof, which aperture is closed with its substantially constant use of one by acooling dome 9 extending upwardly 20 cathode portion leads to excessive vaporizatherefrom and is formed with double walls 5 tion of the cathode material with all of the to provide a portion of the circulating path known difficulties and disadvantages in recfor the cooling medium flowing through the tifier operation attendant thereon. space between the walls of the tank 3. The

V It is, therefore, among the objects of the anode groups 6, 7 and 8 are preferably each 25 present invention to provide an electric curarranged in an are which is substantially rent rectifier construction of the metallic vaa semi-circle arranged in such a manner that por type in which the are is forced to atlines tangential to the center of an are are tach to the desired one of several cathode also tangential to opposite ends of the arcs portions. of the other groups. It will be understood 0 Another object of the invention is to pro- .of' course, that the anodes may be connected vide an electric current rectifier constructo form a portion of either a three or a nine tion for high currents in which the anodes phase system.

are divided into groups and the cathode is The bottom of the tank 3 is formed in a h divided to provide acathode portion for each downwardly extending multi-cone shape to 35 anode group. permit the formation, in conjunction with Another object of the invention is to pro closure plates 11, 12 and 13, of pockets or vide an electric current rectifier construction wells equal in number to the number of anode in which the arc originating at one group of groups or to the number of phases which anodes is forced to fiow to a pre-determined wells are arranged to receive material form 10 portion of a divided cathode. ing the cathode portions 16, 17 and 18. The

Objects and advantages, other than those plates 11, 12 and 13 are, of course, suitably above set forth, will be apparent from the insulated from the tank 3. following description when read in connec- An aperture formed substantially cention with the accompanying drawings in trally in the bottom of the tank 3 is closed in 45 which insulated relation therewith by a tube 19 purpose of forming a portion ofthe path for 7 1 through to reduce the temperature prevailingclosed at the upper end and extending up wardly from the bottom interiorly of the tank 3. The tube 19 is thus in contact interiorly thereof with the atmosphere and exteriorly thereof with the vaporized cathode material within the tank and forms one means for extracting heat from the vapor and for condensing the-same. A plurality of metallic walls 21, 22 and 23 extend from and are both thermally and electrically conductively connected with both the tube 19 and the walls of thetank 3. Such walls pref- I erably extend upwardly from the bottom of the tank 3 into the plane of the lower surfaces of the anode groups thereby substantially dividing the tank into a pluralityof comp artments each containing one anodegroup and one cathode portion. It Wlll be understood that the tube 19 as well as the walls 21', 22 v and 23 maybe mad-e double-walled for the the circulation of a cooling medium therein the center of the tank 3. The walls need not be joined to the tank 3 and the tube 19 in and interiorly of said tankfthe interior of said tube being in contact with the atmosphere, and metallic walls conductively connected with and substantially dividing" said tank into a number of compartments equal to the number of anode groups and cathode portions.

In testlmony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 13th'day of August,

OSKAR SEITZ.

an air-tight .mannerand may be provided with apertures at suitable points to permit ,easier'evacuat-ion of the'tank by a single 7 from the spirit of the invention orfrom evacuating device (not shown). I

Although but one embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that Various changes and modifications may be made thereln without departing scope of'the appended claims.

The invention claimed is: r ,1. In an electric current rectifier of the metallic vapor type, a closed tank, a plurality of groups of anodes extending into said tank,

the

a cathode divided into a plurality of port-ions equal in number to thenumber of said anode groups'and arranged in the bottom of said tank, and metallic walls substantially separating said groups of anodes into separate compartments within said tank.

2. In an electric current rectifier of the metallic vapor type, a closed tank,'a plurality of groups of anodes extending into said tank, a cathode divided into a plurality of portions 7 equal in number to the number of anode phases and arranged in the bottom of said I v tank, and metallic walls conductively congroups and cathode portions.

3. In an electric current rectifier ot the metallic vapor type, a closed tank, a plurality of groups of anodes extending into said tank, a cathode divided into a plurality of portions equal in number to the number of said anode groups and arranged in the bottom of said tank, a tubeclosed at'the upper end thereof and extending upwardly from the bottom ,neoting the walls ots'aid'tank and substanit 'tially' dividing said tankinto a number of compartments equal to the number of anode 

